US President Donald Trump descends on Davos for a showdown with European leaders Wednesday as his bid to seize Greenland threatens to tear the transatlantic alliance apart.
A day before travelling to the World Economic Forum, Trump berated the Europeans over the fate of the autonomous Danish area. His arrival in Davos was delayed after a “minor electrical issue” prompted his presidential jet to turn back shortly after takeoff.
However, leaders assembled at the Swiss ski resort have united against Trump’s hostile posture, with Canada’s Mark Carney warning of a “rupture, not a transition” to the US-led international order and French President Emmanuel Macron pledging to stand against “bullies.”
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The united stand drew a rebuke from Trump’s Treasury chief Scott Bessent, who told Europeans to “take a deep breath”.
“Do not have this reflexive anger that we’ve seen and this bitterness,” Bessent told reporters in Davos hours before Trump’s arrival.
“Why don’t they sit down, wait for President Trump to get here and listen to his argument,” he said.
Read Also: Why Does Trump Want Greenland So Bad and Why It Is Fueling Tensions Between US and Europe
According to Bessent, Trump would be almost three hours late to Davos after having to change flights. Trump was initially supposed to deliver a speech to the annual assembly of the world’s political and economic elite at 2:30 pm (1330 GMT).
As his plans for the enormous island create the worst divide between Washington and Europe in decades, Trump announced he will hold many discussions on Greenland at Davos.
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Asked how far he was prepared to go to acquire Greenland from Denmark, a fellow NATO member, Trump told reporters: “You’ll find out.”
As he left the White House, the president admitted he had “no idea” how the trip to Davos would pan out.
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